Слике страница
PDF
ePub

Mr. Fromentin, from the committee, reported the resolution last mentioned correctly engrossed. On motion,

It was read a third time by unanimous consent. On the question-"Shall this resolution pass?" It was determined in the affirmative.

Ordered, That Mr. Fromentin, Mr. Hunter, and Mr. Goldsborough be the committee.

Ordered, That the Secretary notify the House of Representatives accordingly.

Mr. Howell, submitted the following motion for consideration, which was read.

Resolved, That two Chaplains of different denominations, be appointed to Congress during the present session, one by each house, who shall interchange weekly.

Ordered, That it pass to the second reading. Mr. Lacock, submitted the following motion for consideration, which was read.

Resolved, That Mountjoy Bayly, door-keeper and Sergeant-at-Arms to the Senate, be, and he hereby is authorized to employ one assistant and two horses, for the purpose of performing such services as are usually required by the door-keeper of the Senate; which expense shall be paid out of the contingent fund.

Ordered, That it pass to the second reading.
On motion,

The Senate adjourned to 11 o'clock to-morrow morning.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5th, 1815.

The honourable William W. Bibb, from the State of Georgia, took his seat in the Senate. A message from the house of representatives, by Mr. Dougherty, their clerk:

Mr. President-I am directed to inform the senate, that a quorum of the house of representatives is assembled, and have elected Henry Clay, one of the Representatives for the state of Kentucky, their Speaker, and Thomas Dougherty their Clerk, and are ready to proceed to business.

They have appointed a committee on their part, to join the committee appointed on the part of the Senate, to wait on the President of the United States, and inform him, that a quorum of the two houses is assembled, and ready to receive any communications he may be pleased to make to

them.

They concur in the resolution of the Senate for the appointment of a joint committee on the arrangements for the library, and have appointed a committee on their part.

They also concur in the resolution of the Senate for the appointment of a joint committee, to inquire and report upon the state of the new building on Capitol Hill, offered for the accommodation of Congress, and have appointed a committee on their part. And he withdrew.

Mr. Varnum reported from the joint committee, that they had waited on the President of the Unit- .

ed States, agreeably to order, and that the President of the United States informed the committee, that he would make a communication to the two houses this day at twelve o'clock.

The following written message was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Todd, his secretary: Fellow-Citizens of the Senate

and of the House of Representatives:

I have the satisfaction, on our present meeting, of being able to communicate to you the successful termination of the war which had been commenced against the United States by the regency of Algiers. The squadron in advance on that service, under commodore Decatur, lost not a moment after its arrival in the Mediterranean, in seeking the naval force of the enemy then cruising in that sea, and succeeded in capturing two of his ships, one of them the principal ship, commanded by the Algerine admiral. The high character of the American commander was brilliantly sustained on the occasion, which brought his own ship into close action with that of his adversary, as was the accustomed gallantry of all the officers and men actually engaged. Having prepared the way by this demonstration of American skill and prowess, he hastened to the port of Algiers, where peace was promptly yielded to his victorious force. In the terms stipulated, the rights and honour of the United States were particularly consulted, by a perpetual relinquishment, on the part of the dey,

of all pretensions to tribute from them. The impressions which have thus been made, strengthened as they will have been, by subsequent transactions with the regencies of Tunis and of Tripoli, by the appearance of the larger force which followed under commodore Bainbridge, the chief in command of the expedition, and by the judicious precautionary arrangements left by him in that quarter, afford a reasonable prospect of future security, for the valuable portion of our commerce which passes within reach of the Barbary cruisers.

It is another source of satisfaction that the treaty of peace with Great Britain has been succeeded by a convention on the subject of commerce, concluded by the plenipotentiaries of the two countries. In this result a disposition is manifested on the part of that nation, corresponding with the disposition of the United States, which, it may be hoped, will be improved into liberal arrangements on other subjects, on which the parties have mutual interests, or which might endanger their future harmony. Congress will decide on the expediency of promoting such a sequel, by giving effect to the measure of confining the American navigation to American seamen; a measure which, at the same time that it might have that conciliatory tendency, would have the further advantage of encreasing the independence of our navigation, and the resources for our maritime defence.

In conformity with the articles in the treaty of Ghent, relating to the Indians, as well as with a

view to the tranquillity of our western and northwestern frontiers, measures were taken to establish an immediate peace with the several tribes who had been engaged in hostilities against the United States. Such of them as were invited to Detroit acceded readily to a renewal of the former treaties of friendship. Of the other tribes who were invited to a station on the Mississippi, the greater number have also accepted the peace offered to them. The residue, consisting of the more distant tribes or parts of tribes, remain to be brought over by further explanations, or by such other means as may be adapted to the dispositions they may finally disclose.

The Indian tribes within, and bordering on the southern frontier, whom a cruel war on their part had compelled us to chastise into peace, have latterly shown a restlessness, which has called for preparatory measures for repressing it, and for protecting the commissioners engaged in carrying the terms of the peace into execution.

The execution of the act for fixing the military peace establishment, has been attended with difficulties which even now can only be overcome by legislative aid. The selection of officers; the payment and discharge of the troops enlisted for the war; the payment of the retained troops, and their re-union from detached and distant stations; the collection and security of the public property in the quarter-master, commissary, and ordnance departments; and the constant medical assistance

« ПретходнаНастави »